Gammill letter: Electoral College

Eliminating the Electoral College is an issue of fairness and one person, one vote. Currently, candidates skip solidly blue or red states because the electoral votes are a lock. In Idaho, choosing to vote for the Democratic presidential nominee means your vote will not count. It is a foregone conclusion that Idaho’s four electoral votes will go to the Republican candidate. A Republican in California has the same issue. In 2000, about 500 votes in Florida gave 29 electoral votes (over 10 percent of the total needed) to Bush, with the popular vote going to Gore. This year four states, with majorities amounting to two-tenths of one percent of the total national vote, gave 75 electoral votes (28 percent of the 270 needed) to Trump. Meanwhile, Clinton won the popular vote, giving us the second president among the last three to be beaten in the popular vote. With a popular vote, such disproportionate influence would disappear. There would be no such thing as a “swing” or “battleground” state. Every vote would count and candidates would need to campaign nationally. Let’s support the National Popular Vote Compact as a way around the current system until we can pass a constitutional amendment to eliminate the Electoral College.

Walt Gammill, Boise

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